Contracting & Change Order Workflow Guideline
Department
Summary
How Kiluth drafts/reviews contracts and handles change orders: three phases—Contract Drafting & Review, Deposit Invoice & Confirmation, Change Order Workflow. Signed documents are stored linkably and referenced from Asana. Scope changes after kickoff always require a signed change order.
Table of Contents
Purpose
This guideline defines how Kiluth drafts/reviews contracts and handles change orders so the team can move fast without losing clarity, proof, or contractual alignment.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Signed documents are produced efficiently, stored linkably, and referenced correctly from Asana. |
Prerequisites
Before proceeding with this document, please review the following documents:
| # | Document | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scope Definition & Price Assessment Guideline | Understand the lead-to-deal process and proposal acceptance |
| 2 | Invoicing & Payment Operations Guideline | Understand deposit invoice issuance and payment confirmation workflow |
| 3 | Onboarding Guideline | Understand how Kiluth uses Asana, Google Workspace, and other core tools |
Scope
This guideline covers:
| Included | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Contract drafting/review workflow after proposal acceptance |
| 2 | Signature workflow and storage/linking expectations |
| 3 | Change order workflow after kickoff (scope change always requires signed document) |
This guideline does not define pricing strategy or delivery execution. Those live in Account Management and Delivery docs.
Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Contract set | The documents required to start work (e.g., MSA + SOW + terms, as applicable) |
| Sign-off proof | Evidence of approval/acceptance, linked from Asana as Sign-off proof: [Link] |
| Contract-related decisions | Scope, price, timeline, payment terms, milestones, acceptance criteria/DoD, change requests |
| Change order | A signed document that modifies the agreed contract scope/terms after kickoff |
Operating Model
| Operating Model | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Asana is the system of record for work tracking, approvals, and handoffs. |
| 2 | Use checkpoints and decision points: don’t move forward until the previous step is “done”, and branches are explicit. |
| 3 | Handoff order: upstream defines handoff artifacts/exit criteria; downstream defines execution after handoff. |
Roles & Responsibilities
| Role | Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Sales | Initiates Legal work, provides deal context, sends documents for signature, tracks signature completion |
| Account Executive (AE) | Coordinates client alignment when needed; owns change request approval chain case-by-case; creates Change Request Asana task |
| Legal | Drafts/reviews contract set and change orders; validates contractual terms and signatures |
| Finance | Confirms deposit receipt (source of truth) before activation/kickoff |
| Business Executive | Approves commercial commitments (as defined in Account Management docs) when escalation is needed |
Contracting & Change Order Process Walkthrough
The contracting and change order process follows three sequential phases. Phase 1 and Phase 2 are for pre-kickoff contracting, while Phase 3 is for post-kickoff change orders.
Process flow:
- Phase 1: Contract Drafting & Review - Draft, review, and sign the contract set
- Phase 2: Deposit Invoice & Confirmation - Invoice deposit and confirm receipt
- Phase 3: Change Order Workflow - Handle scope changes after kickoff (requires signed document)
Default sequence (aligned with Account Management): See Invoicing & Payment Operations Guideline for invoice issuance and deposit confirmation recording.
End of flow: Once contract is signed and deposit is confirmed, proceed to Project Activation Setup. For change orders, delivery proceeds only after signed change order exists and approvals are documented.
Phase 1: Contract Drafting & Review
What you’ll do: Initiate contract drafting, have Legal draft/review the contract set, send it for client signature, and confirm it’s signed and stored. This phase covers the contract creation and signature workflow.
Step 1: Initiate Contract Drafting
Record client acceptance of final proposal and create a Legal contract task.
Prerequisites: Client has accepted the final proposal.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sales records client acceptance decision in Asana |
| 2 | Sales creates Asana task using the template below |
| 3 | Assign task to Legal |
| 4 | Include all necessary context (project/deal context, final proposal link, commercial summary) |
| Asana Card Template | |
|---|---|
| Title | Draft/review contract set – [Client Name] – [Project Title] |
| Assignee | Legal |
| Description | Please draft/review the contract set for this deal. References • Project/deal context: [Link] • Final proposal: [Link] Commercial summary (facts) • Fixed price: [Amount] • Project timeline (final): [Dates/summary] • Payment terms: [Deposit + milestones + final] • Acceptance criteria reference: [Link/section] Output • Approved contract set link: [Link] Proceed when the approved version is linkable and ready to send for signature. |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when Legal has been assigned and notified with all necessary context.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Legal has been assigned and notified with all necessary context for contract drafting. |
Step 2: Legal Drafts/Reviews Contract Set
Legal drafts or reviews the contract set and returns the approved version link.
Prerequisites: Legal has been assigned the contract drafting task.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Legal reviews deal context and final proposal |
| 2 | Legal drafts/reviews the contract set (MSA/SOW/terms as applicable) |
| 3 | Legal ensures acceptance criteria reference is explicit (linked) |
| 4 | Legal returns the approved version link |
| 5 | Legal updates the task with the approved contract set link |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when contract set is drafted/reviewed, linkable, and acceptance criteria reference is explicit (linked).
| Outcome |
|---|
| Contract set is drafted/reviewed, linkable, and ready to send for signature. Acceptance criteria reference is explicit (linked). |
Step 3: Send Contract for Signature
Send the contract set to the client for signature and track completion.
Prerequisites: Legal has provided the approved contract set link.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sales sends the contract set to the client for signature |
| 2 | Sales tracks signature completion |
| 3 | Sales follows up with client as needed |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when client has signed the contract set.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Contract set has been sent to the client and signature is tracked. |
Step 4: Confirm Contract Signed & Stored
Confirm the signed contract is stored and linkable, then add the link to Asana.
Prerequisites: Client has signed the contract set.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sales stores the signed contract (storage location decided by AE) |
| 2 | Sales confirms the signed contract is linkable |
| 3 | Sales adds the signed contract link to Asana |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when signed contract link exists in Asana.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Signed contract is stored, linkable, and linked in Asana. |
What happens next: Proceed to Phase 2: Deposit Invoice & Confirmation.
Phase 2: Deposit Invoice & Confirmation
What you’ll do: Invoice the deposit per agreed terms and confirm receipt. This phase ensures payment is confirmed before project activation.
Step 1: Invoice Deposit
Coordinate with Finance to invoice the deposit per agreed payment terms.
Prerequisites: Contract is signed and stored.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Sales coordinates with Finance to invoice deposit per agreed terms |
| 2 | Finance issues invoice (typically from Sales Order when one exists; see Invoicing & Payment Operations Guideline) |
| 3 | Sales sends invoice to client |
| 4 | Sales tracks payment receipt |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when deposit invoice has been issued and sent to the client.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Deposit invoice has been issued and sent to the client. |
Step 2: Confirm Deposit Receipt
Confirm deposit receipt with Finance and record confirmation in Asana.
Prerequisites: Deposit invoice has been issued.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Client pays deposit |
| 2 | Finance confirms receipt (internally) |
| 3 | Sales records confirmation in Asana via comment: confirmation + date, and @mentions Finance (or Finance replies) |
Checkpoint: Proceed to Project Activation Setup only when:
- Deposit is confirmed by Finance
- The Asana comment exists with confirmation + date (and Finance is @mentioned or replied)
| Outcome |
|---|
| Deposit confirmation is visible in Asana comment (with date), and Finance is @mentioned or replied. Project activation can proceed. |
What happens next: Proceed to Project Activation Setup only after contract is signed + deposit confirmed. For change orders after kickoff, see Phase 3: Change Order Workflow.
Phase 3: Change Order Workflow
What you’ll do: Handle scope changes after kickoff by capturing the change request, aligning on delivery impact, drafting and signing the change order, and confirming it’s linked. This phase ensures all scope changes are properly documented with signed documents.
Rule: If the client requests a scope change after kickoff:
| Rule | |
|---|---|
| 1 | It always requires a signed document (change order / updated SOW). (Not email-only.) |
| 2 | The approval chain is case-by-case decided by AE, and must be explicitly documented in Asana. |
| 3 | AE creates the Change Request Asana task and links the signed document (task content is case-by-case; recommended: short summary + impact). |
Step 1: Capture Change Request
Capture the change request in a Change Request Asana task.
Prerequisites: Client has requested a scope change after kickoff.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | AE creates the Change Request Asana task |
| 2 | AE documents the change request (short summary + impact) |
| 3 | AE assigns task to appropriate owner |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when change request is captured in Asana task.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Change request is captured in Asana task with clear summary and impact. |
Step 2: Align on Delivery Impact
PM and AE align on delivery impact (scope/timeline/milestones).
Prerequisites: Change request is captured in Asana.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | PM reviews change request |
| 2 | PM + AE align on delivery impact (scope/timeline/milestones) |
| 3 | PM + AE document alignment in Asana |
| 4 | AE decides approval chain case-by-case and documents it explicitly in Asana |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when PM + AE have aligned on delivery impact and approval chain is documented.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Delivery impact (scope/timeline/milestones) is aligned and documented. Approval chain is explicitly documented in Asana. |
Step 3: Draft & Sign Change Order
Legal drafts/reviews the change order, and the client signs it.
Prerequisites: Delivery impact is aligned and approval chain is documented.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Create Asana task using the template below |
| 2 | Assign task to Legal |
| 3 | Legal drafts/reviews change order / updated SOW |
| 4 | Legal returns draft link |
| 5 | Sales (with AE support if needed) sends change order / updated SOW to client for signature |
| 6 | Sales tracks signature completion |
| 7 | Client signs change order / updated SOW |
| Asana Card Template | |
|---|---|
| Title | Change order / updated SOW – [Client Name] – [Project Title] |
| Assignee | Legal |
| Description | Please draft/review a change order / updated SOW for the approved scope change. References • Change Request task: [Link] • Signed brief / current SOW: [Link] Change summary (facts) • What changed: [Short] • Commercial impact (if any): [Price / timeline / milestones] Output • Signed document required: yes • Draft link: [Link] |
Checkpoint: Proceed only when change order / updated SOW is drafted/reviewed and client has signed it.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Change order / updated SOW is drafted/reviewed and signed by the client. |
Step 4: Confirm Change Order Signed & Linked
Confirm the signed change order is linked in the Change Request task.
Prerequisites: Client has signed the change order / updated SOW.
Process:
| Action | |
|---|---|
| 1 | AE stores the signed change order |
| 2 | AE adds the signed change order link to the Change Request task |
| 3 | AE confirms the link is accessible |
| 4 | PM confirms signed change order exists before proceeding with delivery |
Checkpoint: Proceed with delivery only when signed change order link exists in the Change Request task and approvals are documented.
| Outcome |
|---|
| Signed change order link exists in the Change Request task. Delivery is unblocked and can proceed. |
Checklist (Legal Use)
This checklist is used by Legal to track progress for each contracting and change order process. Complete each item in order where applicable.
Phase 1: Contract Drafting & Review
| Checklist | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ☐ Contract set drafted/reviewed and linkable |
| 2 | ☐ Acceptance criteria reference is explicit (linked) |
| 3 | ☐ Signed contract link exists in Asana |
Phase 2: Deposit Invoice & Confirmation
| Checklist | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ☐ Deposit invoice issued and sent to client |
| 2 | ☐ Deposit confirmation is visible in Asana comment (with date) |
Phase 3: Change Order Workflow
| Checklist | |
|---|---|
| 1 | ☐ Change request captured in Asana task |
| 2 | ☐ Delivery impact aligned and documented |
| 3 | ☐ Approval chain explicitly documented in Asana |
| 4 | ☐ Change order / updated SOW drafted/reviewed |
| 5 | ☐ Signed change order link exists in the Change Request task |
| 6 | ☐ Delivery is unblocked only after signed change order exists |